The present invention relates generally to the field of electronically aided navigation through a facility and in particular to a method and apparatus for guiding visually impaired individuals along a route in a facility to obtain items or visit locations chosen by the individual.
Various methods and systems have been devised to aid visually impaired individuals in unfamiliar surroundings. Devices and systems have been developed in the past to guide the visually impaired by utilizing detection devices to warn the user of obstacles. These prior art systems merely react and signal the user of obstacles and do not aid the user in navigating a route.
Other devices have been developed which aid visually impaired individuals toward specific locations by utilizing remote modules located at specific locations and a mobile module carried by the individual recording distances and transmitting information to the user. Although these devices do aid visually impaired individuals to be more mobile and self-sufficient they do not allow for the user to detail his own task list and have the system create a route for him to travel in a manner to efficiently accomplish the tasks on the list.
It would be a benefit therefore to have a navigation system that allows an individual to create his own task list and have a route provided to accomplish the tasks listed. It would be a further benefit to have a navigation system that allows an individual to create his own task list and electronically submit it to a service provider for the preparation and downloading of a route into the user""s personal digital device so as to navigate the route and complete the tasks within a particular facility. It would be a still further benefit to have a navigation system that is adapted for use with many existing electronic label systems currently existing in facilities.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a navigation system that allows an individual to create his own task list and have a route provided for the individual to accomplish the tasks on the list.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a navigation system that allows an individual to create his own task list and electronically submit it to a facility for the preparation and downloading of a route into the user""s personal digital device so as to navigate the route and complete the tasks within the particular facility.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a navigation system that interacts with many systems already existing in facilities.
Accordingly, a system and method of the type for aiding a user in navigating a route through a facility so as too efficiently locate specific items within a facility is provided. The system includes a facility processor having a database and software stored thereon for mapping an interactive route from selected location to selected location within a facility, a label located proximate individual items, the label electronically communicating information specific to the item it is associated with, and a digital device having the interactive route electronically stored thereon, the digital device electronically communicating with the facility processor and the labels for tracking movement of the digital device along the route via communication with the labels and communicating a direction to move to follow the route.
A user creates a list of items to acquire, or locations to visit that are specific to a facility. The user then provides this list to a facility processor at the facility or via a network. An interactive route is then created to provide an efficient route for the user to locate all the items on the list. This route is downloaded onto the user""s digital device for utilization in the facility. The system utilizes two-way communication between the labels and the digital device and the digital device and the facility processor when necessary to navigate through the facility. The digital device indicates a direction to follow until a listed item is located. The system may utilize any means necessary, such as visual, audio, and/or physical stimulation, to communicate to the user a direction to travel or when an item is located. This system may be used by the visually impaired. The interactive route program may also allow the user to skip items or move through the list and select specific items, the route being adjusted according to the item selected.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention.